Ilex guayusa is an Amazonian tree of the holly genus, native to the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest. The plant yields xanthenes such as caffeine. In addition to caffeine, guayusa also contains theobromine, a stimulant commonly found in chocolate and L-theanine, a glutamic acid analog found in green tee that has been shown to reduce physical and mental stress. See Kimura K, Ozeki M, Jeneja L, Ohira H (2007). “L-Theanine reduces psychological and physiological stress responses.” Biol Psychol 74 (1): 39-45. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2006.06.006 (http://dxdoi.org/10.1016%2Fj.biopsycho.2006.06.006). PMID16930802 (//hwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16930802).
Current approaches for the use of the guayusa plant include steeping the leaves and forming a beverage substrate (the “tea”) as previously disclosed in http://www.stashtea.com/info/guayusa.aspx and http://www.runa.org/our-guayusa/. The finished beverage produced from both the tea leaves and the Ready to Drink (“RTD”) beverages is described as a naturally caffeinated herbal infusion produced from the leaves of a holly tree. The finished beverage composition contains antioxidants, catechins, vitamins and amino acids at relatively low levels (Antioxidant and Compounds Analysis of Guayusa tea, “Lab Number: 056939”. Advanced Botanical Consulting & Testing, Inc., 2010) as well as xanthines or caffeine as a natural sources of energy, FIG. 1.
Accordingly, there is a need to find natural remedies for inflammatory diseases and enhance cognitive function through the production of an extract which contains a specific ratio of actives that allow for effective nutritional formulation and dosage in a concentrated way to ensure product efficacy without having to consume large volumes of liquid.
In addition, there is a need for an extract or essence of the guayusa tea leaves with an enhanced finished product sensory profile and a shelf life extension. Specifically, a need exists for a masking agent stabilizing oxidative damage to the antioxidant content without bitterness in a finished tea based beverages (IFT 2013, Chicago, Ill. Presented by TEAWOLF).
Finally, there is need for a medicinal extract with the specific active ratio which provides for health benefits not yet seen or described by ingestion of the guayusa tea alone. See Antioxidant and Compounds Analysis of Guayusa tea, “Lab Number: 056939”. Advanced Botanical Consulting & Testing, Inc., 2010. Suggestive of their role in disease prevention, the active compounds in the guayusa plant, once harvested and concentrated to the correct ratio as described within the disclosure, demonstrate and provide enhanced beneficial effects in human health.